& Public Policy. Project Overview

Transcription

1 Community WORKFORCE Health PARTNERING: Worker Advancement Bidders Strengthening Conference Capacity & Public Policy January A Presentation 11, 2006 for Hilton Hotels Project Overview $1.7 million Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to SkillWorks Design advancement program for Community Health Workers Form a new workforce intermediary in community health work industry 10 month planning grant ($50,000) 3 year implementation grant ($990,000) Integrate into overall SkillWorks initiative 1

2 SkillWorks Overview SkillWorks is a public/private partnership that helps low income individuals find and retain family sustaining jobs and helps business find and retain skilled workers. 5 year Initiative with over $13 million coinvestment from 13 funders 3 components Workforce Partnerships Public Policy Advocacy Capacity Building Workforce Partnership Model SkillWorks Workforce Partnership model Dual customer intermediary Requires employer & worker partner(s) Long-term involvement with individuals & employers Advance workers to FESS income levels Change agent to improve employer practices & organization of workforce development service delivery Develops plan to institutionalize practices and sustain strategies beyond life of grant 2

3 Workforce Partnership Roles Brokers and organizes comprehensive workforce development resources within an industry sector Provides access to a continuum of training, coaching, and support services that advance low income job seekers and incumbent workers to family sustaining incomes Helps employers improve human resource policies & practices for entry level worker advancement Project Evaluation Independent evaluation of SkillWorks conducted by Abt Associates/Mount Auburn Associates Workforce advancement outcomes Benefits for Employers Systems improvement outcomes CHW grantee will be expected to share time, access to partners, and data with evaluators Grantee will also participate in an additional ROI analysis on impact of community health worker advancement on the quality of healthcare 3

4 Who Are Community Health Workers? Community Health Workers: Members of, or knowledgeable about, affected communities May be professionals or volunteers Have varying educational backgrounds and experience with health care delivery Who Are Community Health Workers? Community Health Workers: Educate patients about preventing or managing disease and injuries Help patients and families navigate health care, mental health, social services, and insurance systems Remove linguistic and cultural barriers to health care access Contribute to health care access and delivery: Lower costs by reducing non-urgent ER use Improve patient outcomes through increased follow-through on treatment plans 4

5 Who Are Community Health Workers? Work Locations: community health clinics, hospitals, community-based agencies, public health departments Job Titles: Peer Counselor, Community Health Advisor, Patient Navigator, Family Health Promoter Focus Areas: HIV-AIDS, Maternal/child health, Substance abuse, Primary care, Asthma, Diabetes, Cancer Community Health Worker Advancement Challenges CHW work is unstable and poorly paid: Low wages, low benefits, lack of training Results in high turnover Education not tied to higher wages Lack of recognition by health and reimbursement systems Little formalization of core skills or formal career paths Lack of integration with other health practitioners 5

6 Community Health Worker Workforce Partnership Goals CHW access to career advancement opportunities in administrative, patient care and health technician sectors. A career pathway for community health work with: Core competencies of job standardized among employers Wage increases and promotions tied to skill improvement New academic certificate and AD programs Workforce Partnership Service Design For Individuals Job seekers and low-skill/low-income workers Make progress over 3 years towards economic self sufficiency Provide access to a continuum of services with multiple points of entry Focus on skill development, asset development, career coaching, support services 6

7 Workforce Partnership Service Design For Employers Specific employer partners must be involved in program development and service delivery Develop skill standards for community health workers Develop career pathways for Community Health Workers that involve skill and wage advancement Help them to access education and training resources Workforce Partnership Service Design For Larger Systems Organize workforce development resources to meet needs of individuals and employers in community health work sector Employer policies support investment in community health workers advancement Community Health Work certificate and Associate s Degree programs developed Multiple employers accept skill standards, portable credentials, career ladders 7

8 Planning Grants Seed development of one new Community Health Worker Advancement Workforce Partnership Recruit employers, workers, service providers Analyze individual, employer, systemic barriers to CHW advancement Develop 3-year work plan to address barriers for individuals, employers, larger systems Build Workforce Partnerships infrastructure Governance, management, communications, tracking No expectation of prior service delivery Up to 10 months and $50,000 to plan Intended to convert to implementation grant Proposal Review Process Selection Criteria are on page 17 of RFP Funders Group Workforce Partnership Committee will read and rank proposals Follow-up questions may be sent to semi-finalists for written response by Funders Group Top three semi-finalist teams interviewed by Workforce Partnership Committee Workforce Partnership Committee makes recommendation to Funders Group for one grant award 8

9 Timeline Letter of Intent Due to SkillWorks Director by January 20 Recommended, not required Will help SkillWorks/JFF coordinate TA requests Proposals due March 7, 5:00 p.m. Semi-Finalist interviews March Notification to finalist mailed April 5 Technical Assistance SkillWorks/JFF will provide TA if requested FAQs and clarifications will be posted on SkillWorks website: on an on-going basis Bidder s responsibility to check website for updates RFP Appendix F lists resources on model community health worker advancement programs across the country 9